Cable terminal



1932; c. MCMASTER ET AL 1,873,775 I CABLE TERMINAL Filed bem zz, 1950 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLOS L. MCMASTER AND OWEN J; GARTNER, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO enema TERMINAL Application filed December'22, 1930. Serial No. 504,142.

Our invention is an improvement in cable terminals and relates more particularly to the type employed for connecting cables to storage battery posts or the like.

It has been the common practice in securing battery leads and cables to the posts of a battery, to provide a split terminal which may be contracted about the post by means of a bolt and nut In the use of such devices many difliculties have been experienced,

especially inapplying or removing the cable a terminal from the post. In many instances, where storage batteries are suspended below a vehicle frame all available space must be utilized which results in limited space for the use of a tool or wrench in loosening or tightening the nut on the terminal bolt. Furthermore the threads of the bolt and nut often become stripped either due to corrosion or excessive ti htening of the nut or improper starting o the nut on the threads of the bolt. Due tothe lack of suflicient working space the wrench engaging sur faces ofthe nut often become damaged beerly on thenut in such limited space.

It is therefore an object of our invention tery cables or the like which may be quickly and easily assembled on a post to securely grip the same in intimate electrical contact therewith.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a cable terminal of the above named character which is capable of firmly gripping a post as a result of the application of a selected maximum contracting pressure.

Another object of our invention resides in the construction of a cable terminal which may be quickly attached or detachedfrom a. post without the use of tools, if desired.

A still further object of our invention is to construct a cable terminal'of the type mentioned which is extremely simple. of construction, inexpensive to manufacture and which is durable and positive in use.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will become more apparent as the following description of several embodicause the wrench cannot be adjusted prop-' ments thereof progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure l is a plan view of one embodiment of our invention shown applied in use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a to plan View showing the parts in position or removing and applying the terminal to a battery post.

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a second embodiment of our invention.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating a third embodiment of our invention and shows the parts arranged to apply a selected maximum pressure when the parts are moved to contract the split portion of the terminal about the post.

Figure 7 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 6 and illustrates how a second selected maximum pressure may be applied to the terminal in contracting it about a battery post.

Figure the device shown in Figures 6 and 7 except that this view illustrates the manner of applying a third selected maximum pressure in contracting the terminal about a battery post.

- In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, which illustrate one embodiment of our invention, we have illustrated the body portion of the ca- I ble terminal generally at 1. This body portion includes a substantially circular clampmg ring 2 split at 3 to permit the ring to be contracted or to assume a normal expanded position. A cable or other conductor 4 may be secured to the rearwardly extending por- 4 tion of the terminal 5 in any desirable man- 2 define a bore which is slightly tapered according to the usual practice. This is illustrated at 6 in Figure 8 is a slightly enlarged view of- We have provided means for contracting the split ring like portion of the terminal about a battery post 7 or the like which includes the forming of forwardly extending lugs 8 and 9 preferably integrally with the in oppositely extending projections 12 and.

13 respectively which prevent slippin of the gripping or clamping means from he lug when the terminal is contracted to grip a conductor post.

The closing or contracting means includes a link preferably in the form of a loop 14 which is adapted to receive the lugs 8 and 9 in a manner similar to that shown in the figures. A lever 15 having an arcuate wall 16 along one face and terminating at one end in a cam 17 detachably engaging the loop 14 and one of the lugs 8 or 9, the lever having a portion cut away as at 18 to receive and seat a portion of the loop. For economy in production the lever may be stamped from a sheet and folded upon itself as illustrated at 19 in Figure 3. Such construction is not only inexpensive but materially strengthens this part of the clamping means. One end of the lever terminates in an extension 20 which may serve as a finger grip in lifting the lever to the position shown in Figure 4, or atool such as a screw driver may be inserted between the terminal and the extension 20 to pry the lever to this position, although by such an arrangement as we have disclosed herein the use of such a tool is not absolutely necessary since it will be found that the lever may be lifted with ease by hand.

The terminal engaging lower face of the lever is preferably curved or otherwise shaped as at 16 to conform as nearly as possible .tothe outer adjacent wall of the terminal, so that when the lever is closed in ring contracting position as shown in Figure 1 it will lie close to the terminal and at thesame' time shift the loop 14 in a plane lying outside of an imaginary line defining the dead center between the cam and the adjacent lug 8 or 9. In this manner accidental release of the lever and loop and the consequent expansion of the ring like portion of the terminal about the post 7 is prevented. On the other hand it will be seen that little manual pressure need be applied to the extension 20 to shift the plane of the loop past this imaginary deadcenter line in openlng or expanding the ring like portion of the terminal.

In use, when it is desired to apply the terminal to a battery post or the like, the split ring like portion of the terminal is normally inan expanded condition with respect to the diameter of the post. The loop 14 is slipped over the lugs 8 and 9 and the lever 15 is inserted between one of the lugs and one of the ends of the loop as illustrated in Figure 4, the end or cross member of the loop being seated in the opening 17 of the lever. It will be noted that the cam of the lever engages a corresponding cam of the lug and that the ring or loop lies in a plane on one side of a point defining the dead center of the cam at the point where it engages the lug 8 or 9. It will be noted that the parts are now in position for contracting the ring like portion of the terminal about the battery post 7. By simply applying a downwardly pressure as shown in Figure 4 the lever 15 is swung about a pivot defined by the portion of the cam engaging the lug until the link 'lies in a lane past a dead center through the cam an the lug. The parts will then assume the position illustrated in Figure 1 and the split ring like portion of the terminal will be contracted tightly about the terminal post to firmly grip the same and to bring the terminal and post into intimate electrical contact.

In Figure 5 we have illustrated a second embodiment of our invention which is in -many respects similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. Itwill be noted, however, that in the present embodiment we have employed two levers operated at opposite ends of the ring or loop 14. In this manner the split ring like portion of the terminal may be contracted to a greater degree to more firmly grip a post of slightly less diameter as in applying our invention to cables which are to be connected with posts which have been in long use and have been decreased in diameter during such use. In applying this form of our invention the parts may be assembled by slipping the link 14 over the lugs 8 and 9 inthe usual manner and then inserting the respective levers 23 and 24 between the ends of the loop to seat the same and to engage the cam of each lever with the respective cam faces of the lugs 8 and 9. The levers are then swung toward the split ring like portion of the terminal until the link is shifted so that its'plane is past the dead center points of the cams engaging the lugs. The

parts will then assume the position shown in igure 5.

In Figures 6, lustrated a third embodiment ofour invention in which cams are provided for-selecting a maximum contracting pressure which is .to be exerted upon the split ring. like portion of the terminal. Figure 6 illustrates the application of one selective maximum contracting pressure. Figure 7 illustratesthe manner of applying a second selective maximum contracting pressure to the terminal. Figure 8 illustrates the manner of applying a third selective maximum contracting pressure and 7' and 8 inclusive we have il-' shows in dotted lines the contracted condition of .the split ring like portion ofthe terminal and the position of the lever when the rmg is closed, the full lines representing the parts in normal or expanded position while the lever is shown raised.

\ According to the present embodiment of our invention it will be seen that the lugs 25 and 26 are provided with a plurality of seats or steps along oppositely extending walls thereof. These seats are illustrated:

more clearly in Figure 8, the inner seats 27 being in-closer proximity than the respective seats 28 of the respective lugs. Thus it will be seen that by arranging the parts as shown in Figure 6 acert'ain maximum contracting pressure may be applied to the split ring like portion of the;.terminal by shifting the lever 29 downwardly toward the adjacent wall of the terminal. It will be noted in this instance that the, link 30 engages at one end the inner seat 27 While the cam portion 31 of the lever 29 operates in the opposite inner seat 27. In Figure 7 a greater maximum contracting pressure may be employed to contract the ring like portion of the terminal about the post by seating one end of the link in one of the inner-seats 27 while the cam portion 31 of the lever 29 is positioned to operate in the seats 28 of the lug 25. In Figure 8 an even greater maximum pressure -may be obtained by seating one end of the link 30 in the outer seat 28 of the lever 29 to operate in the outer seat 28 of the lug 25.

It will be noted that each of the embodiments illustrated and described herein is simple of construction and very inexpensive to manufacture. It will also be'noted that the terminal may be quickly and easily applied or detached from'a battery post or the like especially in places where there is no available space for operating a tool.

By our invention, however, the life of the terminal will farlexceed that of the battery with which itis to be used in the event that such use is desired, since the parts may be dipped in lead to prevent corrosion and since any decrease of t ediameter of the post 7 or increase in the-inner diameter of the ring like portion of the diameter may-be compensated for by selecting a greater maximum contracting pressure to be applied through the lever and link. Various changes in the details of construction and arrangementof parts may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claims. 2 1

We claim':

1. In a cable term1nal,-a split, contractible, conductor: grippin'gring like body having forwardly extending cooperating lugs, and means 'for'contracting said ring like member fitting over the lugs, and cooperating cams removably engaging the respective ends of the link and said respective lugs.

2. In a cable terminal, a split, contractible, conductor gripping ring like body having forwardly extending cooperating lugs, and

receivlng said cams and a portion of said link, whereby a selected maximum contracting pressure may be applied to said split ring like body for tight y. gripping a conductor.

3. In a cable terminal, a split,-contractible, conductor gripping ring like'body having forwardly extending cooperating lugs, and means for contracting said ring like member under pressure for gripping a conductor extending therein, said means including a l link fitting over the lugs, andcooperating cams removably engaging the respective ends of the link and said respective lugs, one of said lugs having a plurality of seats formed therein whereby more than one selected maximum contracting pressure may be applied to said split ring like body for tightiy gripping a conductor.

4. n a cable terminal, a split, contractible, conductor gripping ring like bod having forwardly. extending cooperating ugs, and means for contracting said ring l1ke member under pressure for gripping a conductor extending therein, said means including a link fitting over the lugs, and cooperating cams removably engaging the respective ends of the link and said respective lugs, each of said lugs having a plurality of seats formed therein whereby more than one selected maximum contracting pressure may be applied to said split ring like body for tightly grip- .ping a conductor.

5. In a cable terminal, a split, contractible, conductor gripping ring like body having forwardly'extending cooperating lugs, and means for contracting said ring like member under pressure for gripping a conductor ex tending therein, said-means including a link fittingover the lugs, and cooperating cams removably engaging the respective ends of the link and sa1d respective lugs, whereby the plane of said link may be shifted past a 'ilead center point between the cam and the In 'testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our slgnatures. v

' CARLOS L; MOMASTER. OWEN J. GARTNER.

under pressure for gripping a conductor extending therein, said means including a link its 

